9th If you cast your burden on me, I shall carry it

[Guest guest]

Because of close relationship with Baba, Nana Chandorkar

was called to Shirdi and Baba took upon himself his burden also.

 

When G.G. Narke visited Shirdi for the

first time, Shyama took him to Baba and tried to

introduce him. Then Baba said, “Are you introducing him to me? I know him

for the past 30 births.”

 

In 1912, Balaram Durandar

brothers visited Shirdi to see Baba. Baba told them that they were his friends

for the past 60 births. Baba told Raghuveer Purandhar that he knew him for 700 years.

 

T.A. Karlik of Kalyani

was told by Baba that he knew him for 2000 years. Similarly Jog, Dada Kelkar and Shyama were all told

that they were very closely known to Baba for several births. He also told them

that on account of his grace only they were able to live together at Shirdi. He

also told Balakram Mariker

and Sai Saran Anand that they were doing tapas in the

previous birth sitting in the cave opposite to each other.

 

Speaking about Srimathy Chandrabai Borkar, Baba said that

she was his sister for seven births. She would go to him wherever he was.

 

There were Veerabathrapa and Chennabasappa who were enemies like frog and snake. Baba

told them about their previous births. Almost on everybody, this way, Baba used

to tell the incidents of the previous lives. On account of their intimacy with

him, he took upon himself their burden.

 

If you can love, serve and worship Baba as God and make him

indebted to you, you are sure to have your burden carried by him.

 

In truth what is burden? The reply would be Samsara

or family bondage. Then the next question would be what is Samsara? Samsara is

nothing but our life and the struggles connected with our lives. It is nothing

but a great burden. What is that burden? On whose head is it? Physically

speaking no body has any burden on the head. It is not like a railway porter

carrying burden on the head. Then,

how is that burden? Where is it? Our body is never a burden to us. It should

never become a burden. We need the body. But it should not be a burden. That

means burden is elsewhere. It is not outside the body.

 

It is very much in our body. What is there in the body? It is the

mind that makes it burdensome. The mind has the burden-Mind itself is

burdensome. The sick, unwanted and troubled traits are the burden in the mind.

This burden causes pain in the mind. It is not visible externally. Only, we

feel the load and the pain. This is our experience.

 

When we have worldly problems, mind will be burdensome and life

will be painful. When we are peaceful, we may not feel the lightness of the

mind. But when we are worried, we find it to be burdensome. When we are

healthy, mind may not be light. But when we are sick, it is heavy. When we are

happy, mind may be light. But when we are unhappy, it is burdensome. That means

burden is not outside us. It is in us, in the

mind.

 

Baba takes away the burden of the mind and makes it light. How

does he take the burden away? If you go to him with worries and problems, he

will take them all away and give you peace. If you go to him with ill health,

he will give you health. If you go to him with suffering, he will take it and

give you happiness. If you go to him with problems, he will take them all and

give you solution.

 

A visit to Shirdi is enough to make you light in

heart and peaceful in mind. Some people still may entertain some doubt

about Baba's acceptance of our burden. Let us try to understand it fully,

unless we understand the spiritual significance of Baba and his compassion, we

can't know why and how he is carrying your burdens.

(to be contd….)

(Source Eleven Holy Sayings of

Shirdi Sai Baba by Pujya Shri

Ananda Sai Swamy)